Various anchors, fixtures, mounting plates, or the like are of course well-known in connection with the hanging or suspension of various components necessary to the operation of industrial or commercial establishments, such as, for example, electrical conduits, heating units, water pipes for use in conjunction with automatic water sprinkler systems, or the like. For example, in connection with the installation of automatic water sprinkler systems within an industrial or commercial establishment, the water pipes that feed, supply, or conduct the water to the sprinkler heads are usually secured or mounted upon the ceiling or roofing structure by means of suitable hanger hardware which may comprise various different anchors, fixtures, mounting plates, or the like. The hanger hardware must of course be sufficiently strong or secure so as to in fact withstand or support the weight of the water pipes when the water pipes are operationally filled with water. Conventionally, the prior art hanger hardware may comprise, for example, anchor structures, fixtures, or mounting plates which are adapted to be secured to the ceiling or roofing structure by means of suitable screws or bolt fasteners, and the anchor structures, fixtures, or mounting plates comprise internally threaded socket members for threaded engagement by means of externally threaded hanger rods or the like.
Accordingly, in order to hang, mount, or suspend the water pipes within the industrial or commercial establishment, suitable holes or apertures are initially drilled within the ceiling or roofing structures at predetermined locations thereof, the anchor structures, fixtures, or mounting plates are then secured within such holes or apertures by means of the screws or bolt fasteners which also require nut members to be installed upon the opposite side of the particular ceiling or roofing structure, the externally threaded hanger rods are then threadedly engaged within the internally threaded socket members of the anchor structures, fixtures, or mounting plates, the water pipes are then inserted within, for example, suspension straps or the like operatively associated with the hanger rods, and lastly, the sprinkler heads are mounted upon the water pipes. It can therefore be appreciated that the installation process for such water sprinkler systems is not only labor-intensive, but quite tedious and time-consuming in view of the fact that the nut members of the anchor structures, fixtures, or mounting plates need to be separately upon the screws or bolt fasteners from the opposite side of the ceiling or roofing structure.
Still further, as is also well known in the art and industry, it is often required to hang or suspend the various aforenoted system components from a ceiling or roofing structure which is disposed at a predetermined angle with respect to the floor structure. Accordingly, as a result of the anchor structures, fixtures, or mounting plates being affixed to such angled ceilings or roof structures, the hanger rods will effectively extend substantially perpendicular to the plane of the ceiling or roofing structure and will therefore not be disposed in a plumb manner substantially perpendicular to the floor structure of the industrial or commercial establishment. Therefore, when, in turn, the various components, such as, for example, the electrical conduits, heating units, water pipes, or the like, are mounted upon the ceiling or roofing structures by means of the hanger rods, the anchor structures, fixtures, or mounting plates, through means of the non-plumb hanger rods, will exert undesirable moment arms or torque upon the anchor structures, fixtures, or mounting plates, through means of the non-plumb hanger rods, which will enhance structural fatigue and stress into the mounting systems. One type of anchor system which has sought to effectively overcome the operational drawbacks or disadvantages of such conventional, prior art anchor structures, fixtures, or mounting plates, is disclosed within U.S. Pat. No. 6,443,680 which issued to Bodin on Sep. 3, 2002. As can best be seen within FIG. 1, which substantially corresponds to FIG. 2B of the aforenoted patent to Bodin, an anchor assembly 10 is seen to comprise an anchor 14 and a cap 12. The anchor 14 comprises a threaded shaft portion 22, a drill point 36 having helically oriented flutes 40 and a pointed tip 42, a head portion 20, and a washer 28 and collar 24 interposed between the head portion 20 and the threaded shank portion 22. The cap 12 is secured to the anchor 14 by means of a swaged lip portion 26 and comprises a bore 16, within which the head portion 20 is adapted to be disposed when the anchor 14 is to be inserted and mounted upon a ceiling or roofing structure, and a counterbore 17 into which the washer 28 and the head portion 20 can be moved so as to permit the cap 12 to be pivotally moved with respect to the anchor 14 within a predeterminedly limited angular range denoted by means of the symbol α. The cap 12 also comprises an internally threaded bore 18 so as to accommodate a hanger or other mounting structure. As can therefore be readily appreciated, while the anchor assembly 10 is operationally satisfactory, as has been noted hereinbefore, and is capable of undergoing rotational movement around the longitudinal axis of the anchor 14, the cap 12 is only capable of pivotal movement with respect to the anchor 14 within the aforenoted limited range of movement denoted by means of the symbol α which therefore, in turn, limits the number or different types of applications in connection with which the anchor assembly 10 can be utilized.
Still yet further, in connection with the suspension of the various aforenoted system components, there are certain environmental situations, that is, the various system components are to be utilized within particular commercial, industrial, manufacturing, or operational environments, wherein the various aforenoted system components, in addition to merely being suspended, are also required to effectively be positionally restrained. In addition, as was the case with the non-restrained suspended components, it is desirable to be capable of installing the suspended and positionally restrained components in a relatively easy manner and within a relatively short time-frame.
A need therefore exists in the art for a new and improved anchor assembly, mounting system, fixture, or the like, which can be readily and easily installed without the need for performing time-consuming, tedious installation procedures, a need also exists in the art for a new and improved anchor assembly, mounting system, fixture, or the like which can exhibit or provide a relatively large range of movement, such as, for example, up to 180° of pivotal or rotational movement or motion, and still further, a need exists in the art for a new and improved positional restraint system for suspended components.